Jakarta Governor Pramono Anung opened the Jakarta Illustration & Creative Arts Fair (JICAF) 2025 at Senayan City, Jakarta on Thursday (9/18) evening. He also appreciated all parties who supported the successful holding of JICAF 2025 in Jakarta.

This festival brings together artists, illustrators, and creative industry practitioners from various countries.

"Today I attended the JICAF event, which was amazing, because I was invited and opened it earlier. I have great hopes for creation and illustration for Jakarta," he expressed.

He admitted to being very impressed with the creativity displayed. He also hoped that young artists could participate in designing the future concept of Jakarta during the upcoming 500th anniversary celebration.

"Therefore, I specifically requested to invite their replacements to prepare how to celebrate Jakarta's 500th anniversary," he expressed.

He sees that these young artists have a far-sighted perspective, which he believes is very much needed by Jakarta at this time.

He emphasized that this collaboration is not limited to JICAF artists, but open to all parties who wish to contribute. He wants the Jakarta 500-year celebration to be more than just a ceremonial event; it should have a narrative, a roadmap, and creations that make the community feel part of the celebration.

"I want the 500 years not just to commemorate the 500th anniversary, but to have a narrative, a roadmap, and a creation so that people feel like they are part of Jakarta's 500 years," he explained.

Pramono asserted that the Jakarta government will open up as much creative space as possible, including the provision of 24-hour parks and library operations open until 10 PM.

"This kind of thing inspires me to prepare open spaces that can be used by young people in Jakarta, by Jakarta artist children who are just learning as well as those who have already become masters. Please make use of it," he continued.

As information, the Jakarta Illustration and Creative Arts Fair (JICAF) is held under the theme "New Heights" and features illustration works that ignite enthusiasm and inspiration to elevate Indonesian art to a higher level, both nationally and internationally.

Supported by in-depth curation and broad participation from artists, JICAF 2025 recorded more than 764 submissions from 25 countries, a 41 percent increase compared to last year. JICAF 2025 will be held for 16 days, from September 18 to October 5, 2025, at The Space, Senayan City, Jakarta.